NIO Forms A Team to Research the Robot Dog Project

NIO has formed a team of about 20 people dedicated to researching the robot dog project, led by former Momenta algorithm expert Xu Kang. Xu Kang joined NIO‘s autonomous driving team in 2020 and this shift to the robot dog project signifies NIO‘s further exploration in the field of Embodied AI.

Embodied AI as an important direction for AI implementation has received much attention in recent years. Compared to bipedal robots, quadruped robots have advantages such as stability, flexibility, strong load-bearing capacity, making them more suitable for complex terrains. Additionally, their control systems are relatively simple and do not require complex manual operations. Quadruped robots have wide application prospects in scenarios such as power inspection, industrial processes, firefighting and rescue operations, national defense and military applications with a potential market size estimated to reach billions of yuan.

Although the development cost of quadruped robots is lower than that of humanoid robots, the development of embodied AI is still in its early stages. Industry insiders point out that intelligent vehicles as limited-scenario robots still need time for the development of autonomous driving technology while embodied AI has broader application scenarios and higher technical difficulty. NIO‘s involvement in the quadruped robot project appears particularly cautious.

In the automotive industry, Tesla is a leader in the field of Embodied AI. In 2022, Tesla showcased its first humanoid robot ‘Qingtianzhu’ at AI DAY, which shares the fully autonomous driving system FSD with Tesla vehicles and has similar visual perception and computing capabilities. XPeng Motors quickly followed suit by acquiring the robotics startup Dogotix in 2020 to establish ‘Pengxing Intelligence,’ and launched an AI robot Iron capable of performing production tasks in 2024.

Li Auto is cautious about the field of robotics. Li Xiang, CEO of Li Auto, stated a month ago that while Li Auto will definitely venture into humanoid robots in the future, their current priority is to solve the technical challenges of L4 level autonomous driving vehicles.

In addition to new energy vehicle companies, traditional OEMs are also actively deploying Embodied AI technology including GAC Group, BYD, Chery, Seres among others. Autonomous driving as an important scenario for Embodied AI inherits a similar algorithm architecture of ‘perception-decision-control’, with highly similar technological paths where algorithms and components can be reused.

SEE ALSO: BYD Globally Recruits Talent in the Field of Embodied AI

According to incomplete statistics, at least 60 financing deals have been completed in the field of Embodied AI over the past year totaling more than RMB 5 billion yuan (approx USD $780 million), making it one of today’s hottest tracks.

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